Walking tour of Winchester

Winchester city centre map

1. The Guildhall The Guildhall is a magnificent late 18 th Century building in the centre of Winchester. It is one of the largest meeting rooms in the country, with 14 venue spaces, and it can hold up to 800 people. The Tourist Information Centre is on the ground floor of The Guildhall. If you stand with your back to The Guildhall and look down the street (The Broadway) to the right, you will see the King Alfred the Great statue. King Alfred was Winchester’s most important royal visitor. He ruled an area of England called Wessex, from 871 to 899, and fought the Vikings. During his battles against the Vikings, Winchester was the largest and most important fort for his soldiers. (To continue your tour, walk down Broadway to the left (opposite direction to King Alfred statue!) Keep walking down the high street which is a pedestrianised area.)

2. The Buttercross (Stop when you reach the Buttercross on your left) This cross was built in the 15 th Century, and it was restored in In the past, farmers and people from the countryside used the cross to sell their produce, such as butter. This is how it had its name. In 1770, The Buttercross was sold to a man called Mr Dummer who wanted to remove it, but the local people organised a small riot and kept the monument for the city! (To continue your tour, carry on along the high street. Be aware that at a certain point, the high street becomes a narrow pavement along a road, so make sure students are walking in pairs or in single file.)

3. Horse and Rider statue ( You will pass a Horse and Rider statue on the left-hand-side, and you can comment on it briefly as you pass) This statue is of a life-size horse and naked man, and was created by Elizabeth Frink in It is a bronze statue, but unlike many horse and rider statues which feature a military person, this man is anonymous. Nobody seems to know what it symbolises!.

4. The Westgate (Stop and talk about the gateway before you walk the group through it.) Originally, this was an Anglo-Saxon gateway, which was rebuilt in the 12 th Century. It is one of the last Medieval gateways to the city. It is possible to visit Westgate, which was a prison for 150 years for people who were unable to pay their debts! There are also great views of the city from the roof.

5. The Great Hall (Once you are through Westgate, turn left, and you will see stone buildings on all three sides. Down the cobbled road in front of you is The Great Hall. Walk towards it, and stop at a convenient point to speak to the students.) The Great Hall is one of the best halls of the 13 th Century and it contains the greatest symbol of medieval mythology: King Arthur’s Round Table. This building is also all that remains of Winchester castle. The Great Hall is a long aisled hall and includes stained-glass windows, a judges’ gallery and steel gates which were added in 1983 to celebrate the wedding of Charles and Diana. (Enter The Great Hall, and take the students to see the Round Table.)

5. The Round Table Legend says that this Round Table is the table around which King Arthur met his Knights of the Round Table. However, scientists say it was created in the 13 th century to celebrate the wedding of one of King Edward 1 st ’s daughters. In the 16 th Century, King Henry 8 th, painted a Tudor Rose in the centre of the table to represent Henry as King Arthur. Originally, it was a standing table with 12 legs. It measures 5.5 metres in diameter, weighs 1200kg and was made from English oak. It has hung on the west wall of the Great Hall since 1873, when it was moved from the East wall. It had hung on the East wall since 1348.

6. Great Minister Street (Retrace your steps and go back through Westgate, past the horse and rider statue, and down the High Street until you reach the Buttercross. Turn right at the Buttercross, and walk down Great Minister Street, passing both the street called ‘The Square’ and the City Museum on the left. Keep walking until you reach the end of Great Minister Street, and you will see an entrance to Winchester Cathedral on your left. Enter here. You will also immediately find the refectory, toilets, and gift shop as you walk into the cathedral grounds.)

7. Winchester Cathedral (Follow the path to the cathedral and around to the its main entrance) Winchester cathedral is Europe’s longest medieval Cathedral. It is a beautiful building with 12 th Century wall paintings, medieval carvings, and contemporary art. The cathedral was founded in 642 on a site to the north of the current location, and it was called The Old Minster. It was completely destroyed in In 1079, work began on the new cathedral. A lot of the limestone used to build the cathedral came from the Isle of Wight. The next major phase of building was in the 14 th Century. A lot of important events have taken place at Winchester Cathedral including, the funeral of King William 2 nd (1100), the coronation of Henry the Young King (1172), and the marriage of Queen Mary 1 st of England and King Philip 2 nd of Spain (1554) (Groups will enter the cathedral for a self-guided tour)

8. End of tour (You can leave the cathedral grounds via Market Lane or The Square, or even back the way you came so students can visit the gift shop, or use the toilets. Walk students back to the starting point on The Broadway, or walk them straight up to the High Street to finish the tour, and to give them free time in the city centre.).